Assessment of the metabolic capacity and adaptability of aromatic hydrocarbon degrading strain Pseudomonas putida CSV86 in aerobic chemostat culture

Dynamic flux balance analysis of high cell density fed-batch culture of Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) with mass spectrometry-based spent media analysis

Dynamic flux balance analysis (FBA) allows estimation of intracellular reaction rates using organism-specific genome-scale metabolic models (GSMM) and by assuming instantaneous pseudo-steady states for processes that are inherently dynamic. This technique is well-suited for industrial bioprocesses employing complex media characterized by a hierarchy of substrate uptake and product secretion. However, knowledge of exchange rates of many components of the media would be required to obtain meaningful results. Here, we performed spent media analysis using mass spectrometry coupled with liquid and gas chromatography for a fed-batch, high-cell density cultivation of Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) expressing a recombinant protein. Time course measurements thus obtained for 246 metabolites were converted to instantaneous exchange rates. These were then used as constraints for dynamic FBA using a previously reported GSMM, thus providing insights into how the flux map evolves through the process. Changes in tri-carboxylic acid cycle fluxes correlated with the increased demand for energy during recombinant protein production. The results show how amino acids act as hubs for the synthesis of other cellular metabolites. Our results provide a deeper understanding of an industrial bioprocess and will have implications in further optimizing the process.

High cell density cultivation of E. coli in shake flasks for the production of recombinant proteins

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True fed-batch strategy for high cell density cultivation of E. coli in shake flask.

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Cybernetic model-based optimization of the feeding recipe.

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Biomass of 19.9–21.5 g DCW/L, in agreement with the model prediction.

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Volumetric productivity for tested proteins increased 8–34-fold compared to batch.

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Scale up of fed-batch recipe to bioreactor resulted in further 2.8-fold increase.

Batch cultivation of recombinant bacteria in shake flasks typically results in low cell density due to nutrient depletion. Previous studies on high cell density cultivation in shake flasks have relied mainly on controlled release mechanisms. Here, we report a true fed-batch strategy to achieve high cell density of recombinant E. coli in shake flasks in 24 h by feeding a mixture of glycerol and yeast extract with a syringe pump. Feed composition and feed rate were obtained by cybernetic model-based, multi-objective optimization. Model parameters were estimated from time-course measurement of substrate, biomass, and dissolved oxygen levels. The optimized process yielded 20.7 g dry cell weight/L, in agreement with the model prediction. Volumetric protein productivity improved by 10–34-fold compared to batch cultivation with 2.8-fold further improvement when the fed-batch process was replicated in a 3 L bioreactor. The process has significance in the routine laboratory cultivations and in scaleup studies.

Coupling of Cellular Processes and Their Coordinated Oscillations under Continuous Light in Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, a Diazotrophic Unicellular Cyanobacterium

Unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacteria such as Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 (henceforth Cyanothece), temporally separate the oxygen sensitive nitrogen fixation from oxygen evolving photosynthesis not only under diurnal cycles (LD) but also in continuous light (LL). However, recent reports demonstrate that the oscillations in LL occur with a shorter cycle time of ~11 h. We find that indeed, majority of the genes oscillate in LL with this cycle time. Genes that are upregulated at a particular time of day under diurnal cycle also get upregulated at an equivalent metabolic phase under LL suggesting tight coupling of various cellular events with each other and with the cell's metabolic status. A number of metabolic processes get upregulated in a coordinated fashion during the respiratory phase under LL including glycogen degradation, glycolysis, oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and tricarboxylic acid cycle. These precede nitrogen fixation apparently to ensure sufficient energy and anoxic environment needed for the nitrogenase enzyme. Photosynthetic phase sees upregulation of photosystem II, carbonate transport, carbon concentrating mechanism, RuBisCO, glycogen synthesis and light harvesting antenna pigment biosynthesis. In Synechococcus elongates PCC 7942, a non-nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, expression of a relatively smaller fraction of genes oscillates under LL condition with the major periodicity being 24 h. In contrast, the entire cellular machinery of Cyanothece orchestrates coordinated oscillation in anticipation of the ensuing metabolic phase in both LD and LL. These results may have important implications in understanding the timing of various cellular events and in engineering cyanobacteria for biofuel production.

Rhythmic and sustained oscillations in metabolism and gene expression of Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 under constant light

Cyanobacteria, a group of photosynthetic prokaryotes, oscillate between day and night time metabolisms with concomitant oscillations in gene expression in response to light/dark cycles (LD). The oscillations in gene expression have been shown to sustain in constant light (LL) with a free running period of 24 h in a model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. However, equivalent oscillations in metabolism are not reported under LL in this non-nitrogen fixing cyanobacterium. Here we focus on Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142, a unicellular, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium known to temporally separate the processes of oxygenic photosynthesis and oxygen-sensitive nitrogen fixation. In a recent report, metabolism of Cyanothece 51142 has been shown to oscillate between photosynthetic and respiratory phases under LL with free running periods that are temperature dependent but significantly shorter than the circadian period. Further, the oscillations shift to circadian pattern at moderate cell densities that are concomitant with slower growth rates. Here we take this understanding forward and demonstrate that the ultradian rhythm under LL sustains at much higher cell densities when grown under turbulent regimes that simulate flashing light effect. Our results suggest that the ultradian rhythm in metabolism may be needed to support higher carbon and nitrogen requirements of rapidly growing cells under LL. With a comprehensive Real time PCR based gene expression analysis we account for key regulatory interactions and demonstrate the interplay between clock genes and the genes of key metabolic pathways. Further, we observe that several genes that peak at dusk in Synechococcus peak at dawn in Cyanothece and vice versa. The circadian rhythm of this organism appears to be more robust with peaking of genes in anticipation of the ensuing photosynthetic and respiratory metabolic phases.

Diurnal rhythm of a unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium under mixotrophic conditions and elevated carbon dioxide

Mixotrophic cultivation of cyanobacteria in wastewaters with flue gas sparging has the potential to simultaneously sequester carbon content from gaseous and aqueous streams and convert to biomass and biofuels. Therefore, it was of interest to study the effect of mixotrophy and elevated CO2 on metabolism, morphology and rhythm of gene expression under diurnal cycles. We chose a diazotrophic unicellular cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 as a model, which is a known hydrogen producer with robust circadian rhythm. Cyanothece 51142 grows faster with nitrate and/or an additional carbon source in the growth medium and at 3 % CO2. Intracellular glycogen contents undergo diurnal oscillations with greater accumulation under mixotrophy. While glycogen is exhausted by midnight under autotrophic conditions, significant amounts remain unutilized accompanied by a prolonged upregulation of nifH gene under mixotrophy. This possibly supports nitrogen fixation for longer periods thereby leading to better growth. To gain insights into the influence of mixotrophy and elevated CO2 on circadian rhythm, transcription of core clock genes kaiA, kaiB1 and kaiC1, the input pathway, cikA, output pathway, rpaA and representatives of key metabolic pathways was analyzed. Clock genes' transcripts were lower under mixotrophy suggesting a dampening effect exerted by an external carbon source such as glycerol. Nevertheless, the genes of the clock and important metabolic pathways show diurnal oscillations in expression under mixotrophic and autotrophic growth at ambient and elevated CO2, respectively. Taken together, the results indicate segregation of light and dark associated reactions even under mixotrophy and provide important insights for further applications.

Rhythm of carbon and nitrogen fixation in unicellular cyanobacteria under turbulent and highly aerobic conditions

Nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria are being increasingly explored for nitrogenase-dependent hydrogen production. Commercial success however will depend on the ability to grow these cultures at high cell densities. Photo-limitation at high cell densities leads to hindered photoautotrophic growth while turbulent conditions, which simulate flashing light effect, can lead to oxygen toxicity to the nitrogenase enzyme. Cyanothece sp. strain ATCC 51142, a known hydrogen producer, is reported to grow and fix nitrogen under moderately oxic conditions in shake flasks. In this study, we explore the growth and nitrogen fixing potential of this organism under turbulent conditions with volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient (KL a) values that are up to 20-times greater than in shake flasks. In a stirred vessel, the organism grows well in turbulent regime possibly due to a simulated flashing light effect with optimal growth at Reynolds number of approximately 35,000. A respiratory burst lasting for about 4 h creates anoxic conditions intracellularly with near saturating levels of dissolved oxygen in the extracellular medium. This is concomitant with complete exhaustion of intracellular glycogen storage and upregulation of nifH and nifX, the genes encoding proteins of the nitrogenase complex. Further, the rhythmic oscillations in exhaust gas CO2 and O2 profiles synchronize faithfully with those in biochemical parameters and gene expression thereby serving as an effective online monitoring tool. These results will have important implications in potential commercial success of nitrogenase-dependent hydrogen production by cyanobacteria.